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Each June and July, students draped in graduation gowns can be seen darting across university campuses, incessantly snapping photos to capture the closing days of their lives as students. While excitement sparkles in their eyes as they transition to the workforce, a hint of anxiety lingers, as does a question: “Are we truly ready for the challenges ahead?”
This year, Link has partnered with the City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) on its new Corporate Partnership Project (CPP) to allow students to gain practical business experience. Link invited six master’s programme students from different specialisations within the College of Business to develop promotional social media strategies for Link CentralWalk in Shenzhen.
The students were split into media and data analytics teams, and were challenged to formulate cost-effective, resource-efficient digital promotional campaigns for Link CentralWalk through market research and case studies of brands. Jin Xinyan and Gu Kai from the data analytics team, both students of business data analytics at CityUHK, said, “We selected Link’s project because it focused on the integration of Dianping (a Mainland Chinese review and rating platform) reviews with actual shopping mall operations. The project presented significant practical and innovative value for us. It allowed us to apply our learnings to real-world business scenarios, enhancing our abilities in data analysis and business strategy formulation.”
For Xiong Yinyue and Sun Minghao from the media team, the vocational aspect of this hands-on business experience proved most valuable: “Link’s project allowed us to experience the entire business life cycle – from gathering user insights and forming strategies to marketing and real-world performance analysis. Despite various challenges, these practical experiences prepared us for our future careers in marketing and operations.”
As a culmination of the CPP, CityUHK hosted an appreciation tea reception. Representatives from Link and other corporate partners were invited to the reception, which offered the students an opportunity to showcase their work.
Tom Ng, Director of the College of Business’s Global EMBA and Master’s Programmes, remarked, “In the current economic environment, corporate internship opportunities for university students have noticeably decreased. That is why we’ve launched this innovative CPP, creating a platform for students to participate in short-term experiential projects through partnerships with major organisations like Link. Unlike traditional internships, the CPP engages students for eight to 10 weeks, with a more intensive pace and specific outcome requirements. During the process, participants can immerse themselves in the corporate partners’ research and practical implementation projects to accumulate invaluable workplace experience. We believe the CPP represents an innovative approach to university-enterprise collaboration at CityUHK.”
All six participants in Link’s project came from Mainland China. They made the trip to Hong Kong a year ago, not only to pursue professional knowledge but also to begin new chapters of their lives in this city.
“The CPP serves as a stepping stone for students to enter the Hong Kong job market,” Ng remarked. “Through in-depth exchanges with the Link team and meetings with representatives from various sectors, the CityUHK students gained a deeper understanding of Hong Kong’s market landscape and developed a fresh perspective on Hong Kong society. The insights they acquired on the city’s economic environment and workplace culture have provided them with a solid foundation for their career planning and personal development going forward.”
Ng added that 2025 marks the CPP’s inaugural year, and CityUHK looks forward to attracting more quality corporate partners like Link to also become a part of this innovative initiative in the years to come.
